Clive Standen
(35th anniversary)
22 July 1981
County Down, Northern Ireland, UK
6' 2" (1.88 m)
In his late teens Standen was a international Muay Thai Boxer and later Fencing gold medalist. He married his wife Francesca in 2007 at Babington House. They live in London with their three children, Hayden, Edi and Rafferty.
His first experience of stunts and sword fighting was at the tender age of 12 when Standen got his first job working in a professional stunt team in Nottingham learning to Ride, Joust and sword fight. His sword fighting skills are seamless, he is left-handed but learned to fight with his right hand in his early years making him uniquely ambidextrous in the craft. At the age of fifteen Clive was both a member of the National Youth Theatre and the National Youth Music Theatre performing lead roles in plays and musicals in West End and at venues such as The Royal Albert Hall and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He then won a place at the London Academy of Dramatic Art LAMDA on their three year acting course.
He is best known for playing the battle hardened warrior 'Gawain' a series regular in the Starz networks TV series 'Camelot' and also 'Archer', the swashbuckling brother of Robin Hood in the BBC TV series Robin Hood; a role which brought Standen much critical acclaim with many of the national press comparing Standen's charming but edgy performance and seemingly effortless sword fighting Skill to Errol Flynn. It was much speculated at the end of the 3rd season that after his brothers death "Archer" would pick up the mantle of Robin Hood and become the shows new hero. Clive is also known for a previous recurring role as Private Harris in the British sci-fi show Doctor Who.
Prior to his role in Camelot & Robin Hood Standen appeared in 3 episodes of Doctor Who,the crime thriller "Waking the dead",the Second World War drama documentary "Ten days to D-day", three episodes of "Doctors" and "Tom Brown's Schooldays", the acclaimed ITV adaptation of the book by Thomas Hughes. He also played the lead role of Major Alan Marshall in the Zero Hour TV dramatization of the SAS mission in Sierra Leone known as operation Barras. Standen took a lead role in the mainstream Bollywood film "Namastey London" alongside Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar. Clive was also the face of Evian water 2008.
In 2012 Clive landed a lead role in the Vertigo films feature "Hammer of the Gods" and the new series "Vikings" produced by MGM/History both slated to be released in spring 2013 - IMDb Mini Biography By: spirit
His first experience of stunts and sword fighting was at the tender age of 12 when Standen got his first job working in a professional stunt team in Nottingham learning to Ride, Joust and sword fight. His sword fighting skills are seamless, he is left-handed but learned to fight with his right hand in his early years making him uniquely ambidextrous in the craft. At the age of fifteen Clive was both a member of the National Youth Theatre and the National Youth Music Theatre performing lead roles in plays and musicals in West End and at venues such as The Royal Albert Hall and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He then won a place at the London Academy of Dramatic Art LAMDA on their three year acting course.
He is best known for playing the battle hardened warrior 'Gawain' a series regular in the Starz networks TV series 'Camelot' and also 'Archer', the swashbuckling brother of Robin Hood in the BBC TV series Robin Hood; a role which brought Standen much critical acclaim with many of the national press comparing Standen's charming but edgy performance and seemingly effortless sword fighting Skill to Errol Flynn. It was much speculated at the end of the 3rd season that after his brothers death "Archer" would pick up the mantle of Robin Hood and become the shows new hero. Clive is also known for a previous recurring role as Private Harris in the British sci-fi show Doctor Who.
Prior to his role in Camelot & Robin Hood Standen appeared in 3 episodes of Doctor Who,the crime thriller "Waking the dead",the Second World War drama documentary "Ten days to D-day", three episodes of "Doctors" and "Tom Brown's Schooldays", the acclaimed ITV adaptation of the book by Thomas Hughes. He also played the lead role of Major Alan Marshall in the Zero Hour TV dramatization of the SAS mission in Sierra Leone known as operation Barras. Standen took a lead role in the mainstream Bollywood film "Namastey London" alongside Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar. Clive was also the face of Evian water 2008.
In 2012 Clive landed a lead role in the Vertigo films feature "Hammer of the Gods" and the new series "Vikings" produced by MGM/History both slated to be released in spring 2013 - IMDb Mini Biography By: spirit
Spouse
Francesca Standen (2007 - present) (3 children)
Trivia
Clive was an international Thai boxer when he was in his teens.Trained at the London Acadamy Of Music And Dramatic Art (LAMDA)
By his late teens he was a National Thai Boxing champion. When he got into acting he made sure he honed his choreography and fighting skills by gaining an advanced gold certificate in sword fighting from the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat.
After the transmission of Robin Hood many of the press reviews compared Standen flamboyant swashbuckling performance to the iconic movie star Errol Flynn
with the Guardian declaring of Standen's character: Clive Standen's bed-hopping, lovable rogue has no particular allegiance to anyone, and seemingly no morals, until Robin Hood shows him a better way. Clive Standen has a leading man charisma that will see him through....Archer (Standen) is the missing link; the man that the entire series has been leading up to.Thanks to Archer, Robin Hood will survive without Robin Hood. In fact, it might even be better off without him.
Can dissemble/reassemble an M16 rifle in under a minute (just)-cocky son of a gun (we timed him).
Is a spokesman for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Personal Quotes
'Doctor Who' is really close to my heart, and I felt like I was a part of it at the best time, with Russell T.I've got children and it's still this one thing that I feel incredibly proud about, when my children are in the playground with their friends and they know about 'Doctor Who'. It's a great feeling. I can sit down with them and watch the new 'Doctor' with my kids.
The cast of 'Vikings' is a real team, a true ensemble. It's a mad, eclectic, great bunch! But we support each other and trust each other completely. There are no egos.
I prefer to stay in shape through doing activities I enjoy, such as climbing, hiking and exploring.
With period dramas, it's very easy to get excited because I love to do them.
My first press tour for 'Vikings' was pretty overwhelming. Between all the hotels, TV shows and talking a lot, I would get done and have to sit in silence for a while. It was exhausting, and you really have to focus.
I hope to be acting until I am 90.
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